


Imagine Farming with Rick and Carl

by forestofmyown



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gardens & Gardening, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, Other, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 08:13:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4052917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestofmyown/pseuds/forestofmyown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would motivate you to go out and work up a sweat plowing a field by hand when there’s already someone else working on it?  Why, a certain view, of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Imagine Farming with Rick and Carl

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr: http://forestofmyown.tumblr.com/post/94125574689/farming-with-rick-and-carl

There’s something extremely satisfying about the shlink of the shovel blade digging into the crisp earth. The first break in the dirt is the funnest. You slam the heel of your boot down on the curved back of the blade, piercing deeper, before pulling up the large, grassy clump that is the surface of what will soon become a garden. Or field, if all goes well.

The cut you’ve made is smooth, the ground perfect for tilling. And the neat little almost-circle of grass balance on your shovel gives you an odd sense of satisfaction. You slide it right back into place and say a silent goodbye to it before ramming the shovel through the center of the clump.

Grinning, you raise it up and slam it down again. Then again, twisting this time. Over here, over there. Again.

Soon enough, it turns into a funny little frenzy of chopping up dirt, digging and rolling and mixing as you keep moving, tilling the ground in your own strange way. It’s enjoyable, if not a little odd to watch, if Rick’s low chuckle and minute head shake are any indication.

You smile back at him, lowering your gaze back to your work. You don’t want to draw too much attention to what really got you out here in the first place.

The sunshine is nice. It’s a thankfully cool day, the sky clear, and the scent of the freshly dug dirt is, for once, a smell to bring to mind hope instead of death. There’s even a wonderful breeze to keep you cool once the work starts picking up.

All great reasons to want to be outside; none of them actually what motivates you.

“Carl, careful—”

You glance up again, then lean on your shovel for a minute to watch.

Carl had, apparently, almost smacked his father over the head with his shovel when he’d went to flip it from over his shoulder back to the ground. You smile as Rick gives his son a speech on safety and Carl shifts restlessly.

“Dad, I know this already.”

“If you did, you wouldn’t have almost hit me.”

“I slipped up. It doesn’t mean I don’t know. It means I haven’t had many chances to put it into practice. Can we get back to work now?”

“Alright, just—”

“Be careful, I know, I know.”

Carl shuffles away, pummeling the dirt with his shovel with such force you can almost hear the resentment.

You chuckle, and Rick’s eyes turn from his boy to you. The two of you share a sly grin before he strides over to your area.

“Y/N, how’s the work going?”

“How’s parenting?” you shoot back.

He shifts his weight, looking away. It’s a bashful thing he does, you’ve noticed, and you like it. You also like the half buttoned up shirt, the rather nice fitting pants, his curls and his scruff, all half-covered in dirt.

Now there’s a reason to go out and work up a sweat.


End file.
